Trento and Bolzano

Trento is a city of about 100,000 that lies in the Adige Valley, near the foothills of the Alps called the Dolomites. The view is breathtaking. Industry consists of services, tourism (especially mountain tourism,) high-quality agriculture and food industry (including wine, fruit), as a research and conference center thanks to a small but renowned university. One of those research centres is the Institute for studies and the Development of Nonprofit Organisations.

The area around Trento seems to have more vineyards and orchards per square metre than anywhere else on earth. While Italian is the main language, German is also prominent as this region was part of the Austrian empire until after the 1st world war.

The Palazzo delle Albere (which houses the modern art museum) with snow-capped mountains.


Trento is known as the "painted city" because of the numerous buildings with facades covered with ancient frescoes. This is a famous example in the central square.

Magnolia tree outside train station.

Bolzano is a city of about 100,000 located in the region of Alto Adige (also known as Sud-Tirol [excuse lack of umlaut] or South Tyrol) about 100 km from Austria. Like Trento, the city's economy relies on high-quality intensive agriculture (including wine, fruit and dairy products), tourism (esp. mountain tourism), wood and ceramic handicrafts and services. German is even more prevalent here than in Trento.

A view of the mountains from a Bolzano street

Main square with statue of Walter van der Vogelweide (say it quickly) the German minstrel and one of the most celebrated of the Middle High German lyric poets (1170-1230)

Judy and Omri, brave souls, decided to take a cable car to the top of a local mountain. For Larry, discretion (and acrophobia, or perhaps barophobia or illyngophobia - look them up) were the better part of valour and he had a glass of wine in the town square. This is the vista from the top of the mountain.

Judy either having a rest or cowering in the swinging cable car.

Omri, showing no signs of Oikophobia, with chalet behind